A devastating flat fire in Inverness has left a family with “absolutely nothing” and claimed the lives of their beloved cats.
Mother-of-two Ashley Maciver was woken by loud banging noises in the early hours and reportedly found that the fuse box in the hallway of her ground floor flat was alight.
She was able to wake her two teenage sons, Aizak and Ruben, and get out of the building safely.
They were able to get their family dog out in time, but tragically their two cats perished.
An online fundraiser has already had more than £4,500 of donations.
Two crews from Inverness were called to the blaze on Old Town Road at around 5am today.
All members of the family were outside the building when they arrived and crews used breathing apparatus and water jets to fight the fire. The stop message came back about 40 minutes later.
Huge support from Inverness community
Two local women, Janice Worthing and Dianne Macaskill, have set up a fundraiser to help the family after the flat fire in Inverness
The fundraisers said: “The fire has ravaged the whole flat and everything is completely destroyed.
“We are raising funds on their behalf as they’ve been left with absolutely nothing. We thank everyone for their amazing show of support. It’s very much appreciated.”
They are also appealing for donations to be taken to Dr Black’s Memorial Hall at 22 Bank Street in Inverness on Tuesday evening.
The family needs essentials including clothing, shoes and toiletries.
Mrs Worthing added: “They are an amazing family and this is just so devastating for them.”
You can donate to the fundraiser to support the Maciver family HERE.